Tony Ellis is a proud papa of two sports programs this week.

The veteran Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School coach is preparing for softball tryouts for the 2010 season and settling into his role as the new head coach of the Warriors’ baseball program.

Ellis , who replaces former head baseball coach Brad Langford , said he had no plans to resign from softball and looks forward to his time with the boys.

“The opportunity came and I saw it as a chance to get back into baseball,” he said.

In baseball, Ellis got his start as the head coach at Notre Dame and later went to Dade County where he was a head coach for six years.



He also was an assistant at LFO for both former Warriors head baseball coaches Wendell Clowers and Mark Mariakis .

Ellis said he felt he could help continue the winning tradition at LFO. The Warriors have been to the playoffs in two of the past three seasons under Langford .

“I’m really excited,” he said. We have a lot of kids coming back. I haven’t got to meet with them all yet, but I know we have a good group…we’ll see what happens.”

Ellis said he is uncertain who all of the assistants will be in baseball, but plans to work with Shawn Crawford .

The veteran softball coach will be working with Lisa Rogers this fall in softball.



He said he was looking forward to working with the former Ridgeland High School standout who was once the head coach at Covenant College and an assistant at Carson-Newman.



Ellis said she would bring valuable experience to the program.



“We’re excited to have her," Ellis said. "She’s going to be a big asset. It’s also going to be good to have a female back in the program that can relate to the girls.”



She originated the Covenant College softball program in 2006 after graduating from Carson-Newman.

Ellis said she was at peace with her decision to leave her alma mater to coach in high school.

“I’m excited to be back in this area and close to home,” Rogers said. “I was very fortunate to coach where I’ve coached the last four years. It was tough to leave, but when I finished my Master’s degree in May, it really made me think about teaching and coaching.”

Rogers will teach special education at LFO and assist Dewayne Watkins with the girls’ basketball program.